Appeal No. 99-0629 Page 7
Application No. 08/778,059
manner, dart 34 is frictionally secured within
portion 50. Moreover, chamber 34 [sic, 32] also
includes a dart discharge member 52 having a first
portion 54 which is longitudinally deployed within
chamber 32 and a second flanged portion 56 which is
coupled to a spring 58. As shown, portion 58 [sic,
56] further includes an outwardly and horizontally
projecting portion 60 having a recessed portion 61
which is in selective engagement with member 64.
Member 64 is pivotally deployed within chamber 32
and includes a rounded portion 66 which is adapted
to substantially encircle thumb 20.
In operation, member 56 is pushed or biased
against spring 58 before dart 34 is deployed within
chamber 32. After such biasing has occurred, member
64 is moved to a first locking position in which
portion [sic, member] 64 engages and is contained in
recessed portion 61 thereby preventing the biased
spring from moving member 56 within the chamber 32.
Subsequently, dart 34 is frictionally deployed
within portion 50 of chamber 32. When it is desired
to shoot or discharge dart 34, portion 66 is moved
downward thereby disengaging portion 61 from portion
60 [sic, member 64]. Upon such disengagement,
biased spring 58 pushes member 56 in a longitudinal
manner within chamber 32. Such movement, shown in
phantom in FIG. 5, causes air residing within the
chamber to be compressed and to force dart 34
outward from apparatus 10. In a similar manner,
each of the other darts 24-30 may be concurrently or
successively dispensed or shot from apparatus 10 by
the movement of identical portions 66 within each of
the other chambers 24-30 [column 2, lines 19 through
52 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,985].
Notwithstanding that the term "trigger" does not appear
in the appellant's specification, we are satisfied that one of
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